Mental health training boosted
Up to 12,000 more people will be trained in mental health and addictions issues in the next four years after a ‘‘major boost’’ in Government support.
Health Minister Dr David Clark announced a number of new training initiatives, part of a national frontline services rollout to support people with mild to moderate mental health needs, yesterday afternoon.
‘‘As a country we’ve neglected mental health and wellbeing for too long. We know we need to do more to support people in distress, and we are,’’ Clark said.
Clark made the announcement at Le Va, a Pasifika health service in Manukau – one of the first organisations to receive additional funding under the scheme.
Clark said the Government was making a record investment in free mental health services, so people could ‘‘get the support they need, when they need it’’.
To do that, investment was needed in the mental health workforce, including training more community-based workers, he said.
Under the scheme, the number of people in community organisations, such as clubs and sporting organisations, who can undertake ‘‘Mental Health 101’’ and ‘‘Addiction 101’’ programmes was set to triple, Clark said.
This would see an additional 8000 extra places available for people over the next four years, he said.
It would also see 350 nurses upskilled, receiving training to offer mental health and addictions assessments, advice and referrals to visit when they visit their GP.
Clark said the Government was also doubling the ‘‘cultural competency’’ programme, to ensure Ma¯ ori and Pacific people received culturally appropriate support when needed.
This additional training would make it easier for health workers to identify when people could benefit from more support, Clark said, meaning people could be prevented from reaching a ‘‘crisis point’’.
In September, the Ministry of Health called for requests for proposals for $30 million worth of new frontline services.
These were being assessed, with new services expected to be contracted and starting from next year.